A North Carolina Textile Co-Op Gives Immigrant Workers a Stake in the Business

[rhett o rick]

In a state that lost 88 percent of its textile industry jobs in just 10 years, small worker-owned cooperatives are islands of rights and resilience.

At the same time that Vicente was learning the textile business in his home country, Molly Hemstreet was seeing the industry close up shop in her hometown of Morganton, North Carolina. Factory by factory, what had been the largest employer in town was picking up and moving out. Between 1992 and 2012, the number of workers employed in making clothing and other fabric products in North Carolina fell by about 88 percent, from about 95,000 to only 11,400.

In 2008, she founded Opportunity Threads, a worker-owned cut-and-sew plant built on a threefold ethical platform: social, environmental, and economic benefits for the local community.

Opportunity Threads is also a worker-owned cooperative. In addition to receiving paid holidays, vacation, and sick and maternity leave, full members earn a share in the company’s profits. It’s the key that drives the engine, Hemstreet said. Opening the door for workers to become worker-owners allows them to contribute to the business’ growth and strategy.

The UsofA has been bleeding jobs and it appears that the TPP will just make the cuts larger. We must challenge the Oligarch control of our government. At the same time we need to shop for local products and support local businesses. This is part of the Populist Movement. Also, please support YES! Magazine.


See the complete article: http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/north-carolina-textile-co-op-immigrant-workers-opportunity-threads-morganton

Cecilia Garza wrote this article for YES! Magazine. Cecilia is a regular contributor to YES! Follow her on Twitter at @ceciliagarza2.

[Enthusiast]

1. Wow! Kicked and recommended!

Great article!

[rhett o rick]

2. Thanks Enthusiast. The Populist Movement is here whether the Oligarchs and their enabliers

like it or not.

[sabrina 1]

3. That's a fantastic story. The people WILL have to take matters into their own hands and stop

depending on Politicians to do it for them. Good for her and I hope more people can do this and the more Americans will stop buying the cheap garbage that comes from child labor and start looking for Made in America labels.

[KoKo]

4. Recommend... what a great article...thanks!

There has been an effort to bring back some of the NC Furniture Industry and now you can buy "Made in America" in some of our leading furniture stores. Even Ethan Allen (a high end dealer) who had moved much of its production to Asia is bringing production back to NC. I don't know that any are offering the wonderful benefits this textile company is....but, it's a start...hopefully.

[rhett o rick]

5. Yes it is a great article. Yes! is a great source for how to work with local

companies and coops.

[merrily]

6. we need to focus more on things like this.

Thanks, Rhett. The thread should get more attention--and would, if it were not primary season. Can anyone remember to kick it in mid November 2016?

We keep looking to D.C. to save us. News flash. That is not going to happen. We have to work on local and state levels and use self-help and co-operatives.

[rhett o rick]

7. It is a very important story. It's important that we get a president in 2016

that will represent the 99% and not the 1%, but it's equally as important to take actions on the local level. Thanks for the kick.

[merrily]

8. Agree, and you're welcome. nt